Museum Hours: Monday-Saturday 9 am to 5 pm and Sunday 10 am to 5 pm

Please note: The Museum will be closed to the public for a private event on Wed., June 11, 2025.

E.L. Wiegand Children's Educational Activity Center

About the Educational Center

The National Automobile Museum unveiled a remarkable new fixture
designed to enrich the minds of our youngest visitors on June 29th, 2024.


The E.L. Wiegand Children’s
Educational Activity Center, enfolding an expansive area of 3,000 square feet, is an innovative
sanctuary of knowledge where the history of the automobile is brought to life through a host of
interactive experiences.


Spanning across five distinct sections, this exhibit is meticulously crafted to cater to various age
groups, offering an array of educational and hands-on activities that seamlessly blend learning with
fun. Among its chief attractions is the simulated car wash, a playful yet educational station where
children can familiarize themselves with a car’s basic components as they engage in the act of
cleaning.

Nurturing the seeds of creativity is our design studio, a space where young minds can select from different automobile types and channel their inner artist, with their designs proudly showcased on a grand billboard for all to admire. Additionally, an engaging build-a-race car feature demonstrates the impact of weight and size on velocity, thereby introducing the concepts of physics in an accessible manner.

The excitement peaks as children buckle up to navigate a virtual course through the streets of Reno. This interactive racing exhibit is designed to amaze, allowing the kids to maneuver a car using their arms and body alone, in the absence of a physical steering wheel. A hands-on educational section featuring a scaled automobile invites the curious to explore the intricacies of a vehicle's make-up, from tire removal to examining the engine.

This tactile component of the exhibit ensures a deeper understanding of automotive structure and operation. Furthermore, the exhibit also boasts a dynamic workshop where children can unleash their potential as they build with ropes, pulleys, blocks, and a variety of other materials, cultivating a practical sense of mechanics and engineering.

Children's Educational Activity Center Gallery

kids educational center photo
kids educational center photo
kids educational center photo
kids educational center photo

FUNDRAISING AT THE MUSEUM

Day at the Museum- We’re proud to share 25% of the revenue from paid admissions from your group, and $25 from every family membership bought that day

1. Contact Us
We will help you pick a day and walk you through the process. At this time, we will collect any information for your cause.

2. Market
Send out the information to your school community! Digital marketing materials are provided at no additional cost.

3. Earn
Visit the Museum! To participate, simply show the flyer at the ticket counter or mention the school.

BRING THE MUSEUM TO YOUR SCHOOL

Bring one of our themed vehicles from our famous movie collection to your school! You’ll have the opportunity to select from the Jurassic Park Explorer, the Ghostbusters ECTO-1, or the iconic Barbie car.

Reach out for our availability.

Visit The Children's Educational Activity Center

As the Museum looks to the future, we are actively planning for the growth of the E.L. Wiegand Children's Educational Activity Center. A capital campaign launched this year aims at enriching the exhibit with even more elements, ensuring that it remains a beacon of knowledge and imagination for generations to come.

Fundraising Form

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